my fila needs a boyfriend!

[Tiger12490]

I'm glad you're not stuck on this idea to breed them I live in oceanside btw lol but yeah from the sounds of things your girls temp is very very mild Athena could never be off leash with people EVER

Tapd on my skyrocket

 

[allsierra123]

We have a mix and she is around 7.5 months you dont try to approach or pet her when she is on a leash. When she was younger we could have her off leash and she avoided people now she is getting to where she sees them a few hundred yards away drops her head does a low growl and starts walking slowly towards them. She is still to the point I can recall her, But we have just decided no more off leash when there is any chance of someone walking along. She has been super socialized but she got to the point where it just wasnt safe or fair to her to try to put her around strangers anymore. She is probably not in her full temp yet and dont plan test her for a long while yet but she is a pretty hard temped dog for being a mix. We didnt set out to get a fila and we didnt know what The breed was all about was when we got her. Thankfully we were able to adjust to the lifestyle change she has required. But the kids love her she is a big ol baby at home and I take her out with me shooting and hiking but so far she doesnt want to swim at all.

 

[angelbears]

Andrea, thank you for at least giving breeding a 2nd thought. Kelly put it best a lot of us have rescues, so we are passionate about trying to prevent unwanted or abused dogs. There always seems to be a lot of Fila in shelters and not enough people qualified to adopt them. Here is a picture of our Ziva. We rescued her last year. She was in North Carolina, I'm in Houston. It took around 20 very dedicated people to help get her to us. Why all the effort because there was no one closer who was willing or able to take her.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Poor girl Angel bears, glad she found a better home.

 

[Kelly]

shes gorgeous angel bears. is brindle approved by cafib? i know she's a mx as you said but just wondering. i remember black is not.

 

[NeoBull]

I considered adopting a Fila named Rodger about 7 years ago. He was gorgeous, standoffish but didn't seem agressive... he was only 13 months though, so maybe that changed. After some research I decided to continue to hold out for a Doberman, I had just decided on a breeder and was waiting for pups to be born, the Fila just wasn't for me. Awesome dogs though.

 

[angelbears]

DD, I didn't realize it until my partner pointed out that the first pic was taken exactly one year ago today at the shelter, in Carolina. Funny thing is we were looking to buy another pup when one of the breeders I had been talking to sent this picture our way. She has been an excellent dog.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Which part of Carolina? I think I mentioned in one post I was shocked to see a CL ad for Fila pups, but this was in my area in VA. They don't seem to be as common like the corso.

The vet I used to work a manager had a Fila given to her. He looked every bit as Fila but he was friendly with us don't know how he was at her house. That my first experience with one.

 

[angelbears]

Hey Kelly, I'm pretty sure that brindle is accepted by Cafib. Ziva, is actually a purebred. She was micro-chipped, the breeder said she didn't have the gas money to go and pick her up and released her rights to a rescue group that fought to get her released.

DD, I'm not sure anymore if it was North or South Carolina. Right now, Miami seems to be the hot bed for Filas. My theory is you get a byb in an area, they throw a couple of litters, then disappear. Then a year or two later, when the Filas start coming into temp. You see the up tick of Filas in shelters in that area.

Neo, you would have fallen in love. I truly respect all of ya'll that study and understand breeds before jumping in and getting one.

 

[NeoBull]

Neo, you would have fallen in love. I truly respect all of ya'll that study and understand breeds before jumping in and getting one.

I don't doubt it! We went to see him, I was already falling in love... my head had to do an override on the heart!

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

That sucks, but its not surpsing they are becoming the new breeders like the Boerbol, Corso, Presa, etc.

Like I said my heart is with the GM but do like the fila, as a mentioned it would be a good dog for me and my lifestyle. However I want to get more "settled" before I jump ship, from the posts I've been reading from you and other Fila owners, this breed is no joke. I want to be sure I am fully committed before I think about adding one to my home.

 

[Tiger12490]

There really not that difficult DD I say that for a person who has handled a large aggressive dog you shouldnt be overwhelmed you do have to work around them a lot if you ever saw me and my wife go on walks its like playing shoots and ladders avoiding people constantly crossing streets lol

Tapd on my skyrocket

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

My issue would not be handling them but rather the constant notion of being "on guard" while not in the home. I'm not a social butterfly by any means but I wouldn't want to be on edge all the time. Duke's dog agression issue what a good "introduction" for me eventually we got through it. Having breed that highly distrusts people would be another. I would like to relax some time, lol.

 

[chuckorlando]

I agree with Tiger. Kona is by far the easiest dog I've ever had. She walks around just fine and people go about their busness. It's only when people come up to us at home or just some random dude out of no where. Very easy to train basics as their eager to please. I just avoid places where people have to be to close. But she will lay on the floor with my parents here (after she tries to eat them) but again, out of bite distance.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

So a fila can walk past a person and be without the lunging??? For example walking in a park?

 

[angelbears]

Oh boy, that is a hard one, DD. I have been around some Fila people, that had control of their dogs and I would approach their dogs. No doubt they could take their dogs out to a park or Petco. Do they? No, it is hard work and other people are too unpredictable. Can they take them out without them lunging and being a maniac? Yes. Can they keep their Fila from trying to atack someone? Not if that Fila believes there is a true threat.

All that being said, I have watched the other thread about if dogs will protect I believe that it is true, that only a small percentage will bite. Mine has not been tested. However, he has dove through a window to try and get someone that was knocking on the door. As a pup, when we were still trying to socialize, he grabbed a man's hand but spit it out just as quickly. Another time as we were walking out the front door, a meter reader passed about 10ft in front of us. Needless, to say, the ride of my life had just begun. There was no holding him, all I could do is slow him down enough that the guy could run to his truck. I'm still picking rocks out of my butt over that one. Yet, I'm still not sure what he would do if a real bad man showed up.

 

[chuckorlando]

Kona absolutly will never walk that close to people. What I mean is she wont pay you any attention if your across the street or 10-20ft away. Once she is warmed up to the situation she's seems ok with folks out side of leash length. But that close you have to really pay attention to her and them. Very slight movements can really save the drama.

I aint even positive Fila's are supposed to bite like some think they should. If these dogs were breed to hold slaves and intruders, I'm not sure they would just eat someone. I have no doubt they would bite and how much would depend likely on if you buck the jack or lay down. I also dont know how strong konas temp really is. But she's tried way to many times to get folks at very close range with zero fear. This includes the guy she knows better than anyone. She's tried to bite fred so many times it's ridiculus.

So no I would'nt trust a fila to go to parks and walk on the sidewalk. Off to the side in her own area, always leeshed, sure. No petsmart walks. No hanging out at a party. But really , outside of travel, it's fairly easy to avoid these things.

 

[Tiger12490]

Thou we dont know the full extent of Athenas temp there's no way I trust Athena with people at all she's just tried to take a chomp out of too many people but she can walk by people across the street or well that's about it lol. anything else I wouldn't trust her even though she did just chill (out of strike range) when meeting my wife's cousin. I don't believe there man eaters just severely person intollerant lol I haven't met a fila or a mix that I would walk up too or trust off leash with new people...

Tapd on my skyrocket

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Wow angelbears, lol!!! Poor guy.

I don't even take Thor to petsmart, petco, or parks very often, everynow and again I'll go in for some socalization but that's pretty much it. I'm a homebody person, like my space and privacy.

However we've spoken about this before and that would be travel. I don't have ANYONE that would watch the dogs if I had to leave.

 

[angelbears]

Yes, the poor guy. He was such a gentleman, he really did touch my heart. He did haul ass to his truck which was parked on the next street but he drove back to check and make sure I was okay. My partner had heard Cane going nuts and had run out to help. We had just got him into the house and the glass storm door closed, but not the wood door, when he drove up. Needless to say, Cane got all fired up again. I wasn't able to go out and thank him and apologize like I wanted to. ... I think he more than understood.